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(NMde1)` E. W. RATHBN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS POR GARB'ONIZING SAWDUST AND PRGDUGTION 0F GAS.

Patented Deo. 7, 1886.

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AUTOMATIG APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING SAWDU-ST AND PRODUCTION 0F GAS.

Patented Deo. '7, 1886.

N. Emis Phamuxmyiphar. wwingmn. n4 c ilNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD V. RATHBUN, OF DESEBONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

.AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING SAWDUST AND PRODUCTION F GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,966, dated December 7, 1886.

Application filed January 2, i885. Serial No. 151,864. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. RATHBUN, of Deseronto, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, haveinvented newand`nseful improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Carbonizing Sawdust and the Production ofA the charcoal available; to construct the parts thereof in a more durablemanner,and to make the process more automatic.

The Halliday apparatus consists, essentially, of a bench of retorts, each of which is provided with a screw-conveyer, which grad- ;5 ually moves the sawdust along the saine, and finally discharges it as charcoal, being fed into it from a hopper connected to it by a vertical tubular neck, also provided with a screw-conveyer.

o In carbonizing sawdust for the production of gas ahigher temperature has to be employed than the apparatus above referred to will bear. The consequence is that the conveyers in the retorts fail almost as soon as set to work, and

l if working for a little time the retorts soon give way. YVN or does the apparatus work as automatically as desirable.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts for service, substan tially as hereinafter specifically pointed out.

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through a' retort-stack, showing one retort, with supply-hopper, vapor-main, and charcoal-man1 in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofa retort-stack,representing a bench of live retorts. Fig. o is a longitudinal section of the charcoalunain, partly in elevation, showing hydraulic seal and mode of discharge. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of a retort, 5o showing the tubular shaft of the screw-cou Veyer and the continuous firebrick support of the retort. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the method of conveying the charcoal from the retort-house bythe saine conveyer that brings the sawdust to the retort. Fig. 6 `is a 55' modification ofthe manner of forming thehydraulicseal of the charcoal-main and discharging and removing the charcoal. Fig. 7 is another modification. Fig. 8 is another modification or plan of discharging the charcoal 6o from the charcoal-main without the aid of a hydraulic seal, a solid body of charcoal being formed to prevent the exit of gas and the entrance of air.

A is a retort, of east iron or tire-clay, set in a furnace or bench, in which it has practically a continuous support of tire-tiles F upon the piers F. f

Al is a mouth-piece at the front, projecting beyond the front wall, F", of the furnace, and 7o provided with a flanged trunk for the tubular feed-tube H, closed by a cover, a, with stuffing box a'.

B is the screw-conveyer having a hollow or tubular shaft, B, journalcd at the front and rear in the stuffing-boxes atand d, and carrying the worm-wheel \V, gearing in a worm, W", upon a shaft, S. In a bench of live 1"etorts, which is the usual setting, the driving-gear of the shafts B is preferably so arranged that one 8O shaft S drives the entire number, said shaft being placed between the upper and lower row and carrying rightand left handed worms XV. The tubular shalt B is con uected by means of a stuffing-box, b, to a water-supply pipe, p, taken from a main, P. The supplypipe p may be provided with a regulatingcock, p. The discharge from the tubular shaft B at the rear of the retort may be open and flow in a trough, b', or the shaft may discharge 9o in a branch pipe connected to the shaft B by astufng-box similar to the arrangement in front.

Instead of using water as a cooling medium for the shaft B', a current of air may be forced g5 through the same, either by pressure or suction; or, if the shaft be inclined and both ends be open, the air contained in the shaft is rareiied by the heat and a natural current is the result, which in soine cases is sufficient to preno vent the overheating of the shaft.

rlhe sawdust is supplied to the retorts from the hopper H, which is filled by a chain con- Veyer, O, or in any convenient manner. The

casing of the chain conveyer is provided with slides c, controlling the discharge-apertures tol H, extending upward in the hopper, the shafts of these upright conveyors being suitably geared to a shaft, S.

F are piers within the furnace, constructed with openings or flues ffor'the circulation of heat, and support a continuous or semi-continuous bridging, F, of fire-tiles, upon which the retorts are supported to prevent their sagging under theintluence of heat.

A is a mouth-piece at Vthe rear of' the re-v tort, projecting beyond the rear furnace-Wall, F, and provided with two flanged trunks to suitably connect the vapor main M by the connecting-pipes m and the charcoal-main M by the connecting-pipe m. The mouth-piece is closed by a cover-plate, a, provided with stufling-box c, in which the conveyer-shaft B is journaled.

The charcoal-main M is fitted with a screwconveyer, N, to move the charcoal, and is pro-- vided at one end with a hydraulic seal. which may be constructed in various ways. For this purpose the end of the main M may have a mouth-piece, O, provided with stuffing-box to receive the conveyer-shaft, and having below a langed angular trunk for connecting a short inclined pipe, O', and to this an upwardly-inclined pipe, O, fitted with a screwconveyer, N', the two pipes O'and O forming a V, partly iilled with water or other suitable liquid to form a gas-seal. To maintain the water-level, either an independent supply may be used or the discharge from the tubular shafts B may be utilized for that purpose.

The lower edge of the upper end of the open mouth of the discharge-pipe O Will act as an overiiow and prevent an undue rise of the water-level forming the seal. (See Fig. 3.)

Instead of the arrangement just described, the pipe O may be dispensed with, as shown in Fig. 6, and the pipe O' may dip its open mouth in a trough, T, filled with water and discharge the charcoal therein, the latter being removed from the trough T by anendlesschain conveyer, T', or other suitable means.

Another method of forming a hydraulic seal is shown in Fig. 7. Here the charcoal-main forms a downwardly-curved tube, U, iilled with water and provided with an .endless-chain conveyer, U', running over pulleys a at each end and through said curved tube, and discharging into a trough or hopper, u.

Instead4 of employing special mechanical means of removing the charcoal from the water forming the hydraulic gas-seal, a current of water may be employed to perform said operation. The water, beingsupplied in a sufficient] y copious quantity, will overflow at the .proper exit provided for the same, and as the charcoal oats upon the same it is carried along with the current thus created and passes out with the overflow. The entrance of air into the charcoal-main may also be prevented in a sufficiently practical manner by employing a plain charcoal-main, M, which is not fitted its entire length with a screw conveyer, N, but having an open plain or contracted dischargeend, m. In this discharge end the charcoal becomes very closely packed, and forms a tolerably-good gas-seal.

The charcoal may be discharged into wagons,

as shown in Fig. 8, or, if wet, upon a heap to drain, and removed from thence by suitable mechanical conveyers. For this purpose the same endless-chain conveyer, C, that brings the sawdust to the retort-house may be used to convey the charcoal out of it at the same time, inasmuch as' the return course will otherwise run empty. For this purpose the charcoal is elevated into the return chain-casing C', Fig. 5, by a suitable elevator, E, and discharged at any desired point along the conveyer.

The gaseousproducts pass from the retort A through the mouth-piece A and tubular connections m into the vapor-main M', thence SoV through a condenser, D, consisting of a series of horizontally-disposed pipes immersed in Water or other coolingl medium. In this condenser the condensable gases are thrown down in the form of pyroligneons acid and tar, these products liowing out through a siphon. The vapors, thus partly purified, pass on through the scrubber and purifier to the gas-holder, being drawn through the condenser by asteamjet ejector or other suitable eXhauster.

I claim as my 'inventionl. The combination of the sawdust conveyer C. having discharge-openings with adjustable slides, the hopper H, tubular connections with the retorts H', provided with screw conveyer extending into said hopper, retort A, with closed mouth-pieces and glands, a screw conveyor mounted on a hollow shaft, vapormain` M', collecting and delivering the crude vapors to the condenser D, and a charcoalmain, M, connected by tubular necks to the retort, said main being provided with agas-seal and with means ofmoving the charcoal therein.

2. The charcoal-main M, receivingv the carbonized sawdust from the rear of the retorts by tubular connections, said main provided with a screw conveyer, N, and with a hydraulic gas-seal consisting of a tubular downwardly -inclined extension, O', and an upwardly-inclined tubular extension, O2, itted with screw conveyer, the two inclined portions tilled partly with water arranged to overflow'at an orifice situated below the level ofI the main M.-

3. The combination,with the retort A, having a screw feed device, ay charcoal-main, M, receiving the carbonized sawdust from the retort and provided with -a screw conveyer, a downwardly-inclined extension from the main and an upwardly-inclined discharging` tube having a screw conveyer, and a hydraulic seal for said discharge, substantially as described.

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4; An automatic apparatus for producing gas from sawdust, consisting of the sawdustconveyer C, delivering in ahopper above the retorts, said hopper connected to the retorts Aby tubular connections H', fitted with screw conveyer, the retorts A, set upon a bridging of the fire-tiles F, supported on piers F', and provided with screw conveyei1 having a tubular shaft passing through the ends of the retorts and adapted to pass a current of water or air. avapormain, M', placed above the rear ends of the retol'ts and connected thereto by tubular connections passing the gas to a condenser, D, and other apparatus for further treatment, a

EDWARD W. RATHBUN.

Witnesses:

MAURICE MAOKLIN, S. W. WEIGHT. 

